In the field of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a severe and growing challenge, especially with ESKAPEE pathogens, which are known to evade conventional treatments effectively. The limitations of traditional antibiotics, which directly attack the pathogens, have triggered an urgent need for alternative strategies in combating these formidable bacteria. The recent pivot towards host-directed therapies—a method involving not the pathogens but enhancing the host's immune response—is gaining ground due to its novel approach in improving bacterial detection, uptake, clearance, and undermining the pathogen's hijacking of host processes.

This Research Topic aims to explore and validate host-directed therapies as a potent alternative to traditional antimicrobial strategies. The focal point of this inquiry is the exploitation of host-pathogen interactions and the host's own biochemical pathways to combat infections more effectively, particularly those inflicted by the notoriously resistant ESKAPEE pathogens. Given the success observed in targeting intracellular bacteria, extending these strategies to extracellular bacteria presents an opportunity for groundbreaking findings in antimicrobial treatments.

To gather further insights within this emergent field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Novel Drug Targets: Investigations into new drug targets linked with host processes such as immune modulation, cell metabolism, and cellular signaling pathways.

- Host-targeted Pharmacological Interventions: Original research on new pharmacological tactics aimed at modulating host functions to serve antimicrobial purposes.

- Drug Repurposing: Studies focused on adapting existing drugs for new antimicrobial applications against host targets.

- Reviews and Concept Papers: Comprehensive reviews and conceptual papers offering a critical examination of the current landscape of host-directed therapies.

This compilation of research seeks to enhance our understanding and implementation of host-directed therapies, offering potentially game-changing alternatives in the global fight against infectious diseases.

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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

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